Across the nation, qualified applicants have become scarce for the position of
Principal. Rural schools face even harder times attracting applicants; with smaller
budgets rural districts are unable to compete with suburban schools. Curtis Rose,
assistant director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said the problem is
critical, "Some districts cant even find one applicant for an opening.
Its definitely a sellers market" (McKay 1999). The shortage affects city
schools as well. At the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year 195 of public schools in
New York City opened without a principal, "the highest vacancy rate in five
years" (Natt 1999). Research compiled by the National Center for Policy Analysis
reported that of the 403 school districts surveyed nationally, almost half said they were
having trouble filling the position of principal in the 1998-1999 academic year (National
Center for Policy Analysis).

Vermont is not immune to the shortage. Many Vermont schools began the 1999-2000
academic year "scrambling to fill principals position" (Allen 1999). The
high rate of turnover is not unique to principals either. Glover Vermont Principal Jeffrey
Lindgren left after four years of leadership; the three-member school board of Glover was
completely replaced by the time he left his four-year term. Lindgren said, "The
boards change and their ideas change and their beliefs change, and when that happens,
its hard to suddenly change and go in their direction . . . Its very
frustrating" (Allen 1999).

Causes of the Shortage

The position of Principal has evolved over the past decades; this has put more stress
on individuals and made the job less appealing for the relatively low amount the position
pays. At the same time the position is becoming more demanding. A great amount of new
responsibility has been placed on principals. The average workday and work year has also
been extended. The typical workday of principals begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. They
work an average of 54 hours per week and they are contracted for an average of 240 days a
year. In contrast, teachers are contracted for 180/190 days per year and their workday is
dramatically shorter (Warchol and Batts 2000). Principals are expected to attend PTA
meetings, sporting events, plays, community meetings, and many other activities outside of
school hours.

This situation is compounded by the narrowing gap between the salaries of veteran
teachers and principals. Jane Gibson Natt, in her article "Faced With Principal
Shortages, Districts Look Inward" relates that, "Salary and work hours of
principals would not seem to be a problemuntil those quality-of-life factors are
compared with the same for teachers. Principal salaries range on average from $57,704 to
$82,891 However veteran teachers are not far behind in salarywith some earning
$55,000 to $60,000 a year "(Natt 1999). In addition to the changing demands of
the position and the relatively low compensation compared with the level of stress, some
point to a lack of qualified candidates.

However, findings show that there are more than adequate numbers of qualified
candidates, they just are not applying for the openings. In an article on the shortage in
Pennsylvania, Gretchen McKay states that, "Its not as if educators dont
have the credentials. In Pennsylvania, 5,242 people earned elementary and secondary
principal certificates between 1995 and 1999. Thats 26 percent more than the number
of certificates issued between 1989 and 1994." (McKay 1999) A 1998 survey conducted
by the National Association of Elementary School Principals found that of the 403
respondents, 33% characterized candidates for the position of principal as having
excellent educational preparation. Respondents felt that 59% of candidates had adequate
preparation and only 8% of the candidates were found to have inadequate educational
preparation (Educational Research Service 1998). These findings indicate that other
factors are the cause of the shortage, including the rise in the number of principal
positions and the retirement of many baby boomers.

According to the National Association of Elementary School Principals the number of
public school principal positions rose 2.2% from 1987-88 to 1993-94. They also expect the
number of assistant principal positions to grow between now and 2005. Principal and
assistant principal job openings between now and 2005 will most likely be the result of
retirements, as over 37% of principals are over age 50 (Educational Research Service
1998). Increases in student enrollment may also be contributing to the shortages of
principals and teachers. The National Government Association relates that there was an
increase of more than half a million students from the 1998-99 to the 1999-00 school year,
and that the increases will continue resulting in an increase from 47 million in 1999 to
48 million in 2008 (Curran, Abrahams, and Manuel 2000). One important factor in the
shortage is that prospective candidates are discouraged for a number of reasons, primarily
lack of compensation. The National Association of Elementary School Principals and the
National Association of Secondary School Principals found a variety of reasons for the
shortage.

Solving the Shortage

Three approaches to attracting and retaining qualified Principals are increased
monetary support, job support and encouragement, and leadership training. While
compensation seems to be the most easily identifiable issue for the Principal shortage,
the latter two issues create more long-term problems.

The National Association of Elementary School Principals supports a School Leadership
Initiative, a colleague networking organization set up to improve the morale of
Principals, encouraging on-going job development. The ten expectations for the program
are:

·Share information and experiences
that have worked for them

·Visit exemplary programs and
watch good teachers at work

·Learn to use technology in the
classroom and for administrative purposes

·Learn research-based methods and
understands how to use this data to drive decisions on instructional programs to maximize
student learning

·Find ways to support and
encourage staff to provide more effective instruction

·Learn how to work with a more
diverse student body

·Determine the latest and most
effective ways to keep schools safe

·Learn the skills to work with
site-based management teams

·Find out how to create schools
where students feel welcomed and challenged

·Develop
the skills to engage parents and the community in their schools and the education of their
students

Educational Research Services for National Association of Elementary and
Secondary School Principals

Another approach to solving the shortage focuses on grooming candidates for the
principalship and retaining newly hired principals. The American Association of School
Administrators gives examples:

Harvard University  Harvard established the Principals Center in 1981, the
first center dedicated to the professional development of school leaders.

National Association for Elementary and Secondary School Principals  In 1987 NAESP
and NASSP established the National Principals Academy as an "umbrella for the
organizations professional development activities."

Toledo Public Schools, Toledo Association of Administrative Personnel, and the
University of Toledo  Formed a partnership to create the Urban Leadership
Development Program, a mentoring program for aspiring principals

Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, KY and the University of Louisville
 Created the Principals of Tomorrow which allows participants to serve as
administrative interns in the school district

Old Dominion University and Norfolk Public Schools  Provide the Principal
Leadership for Urban Schools (PLUS) program. Candidates are provided the opportunity to
gain on the job experiences specific to situations and problems occurring in school
districts.

University of Las Vegas and the Clark County School District Created the UNLV/CCSD
Collaborative Principal Preparation Program, allowing participants who successfully
complete the program to apply for the districts Leadership Training Program, which
prepares them for administrative positions within the district.

In order to solve the Principal shortage many school districts are turning to programs
designed to identify and groom potential leaders. More emphasis is being placed on
mentoring and support programs for new principals. Recognition of outstanding principals,
encouraging talented people to prepare for and apply for the Principalship, and attempting
to decrease the disparity between the amount of authority granted and responsibility
expected of Principals, are needed steps in solving the Principal shortage. Greater
monetary compensation for principals should also be considered in attempts to solve the
shortage. The high level of responsibility and time demands compared with the financial
compensation is the most apparent cause of the shortage and should not be entirely
overlooked in the efforts to create a larger pool of qualified candidates.

Educational Research Services for National Association of Elementary and Secondary
School Principals (NAESP & NASSP), "Is There a Shortage of Qualified Candidates
for Openings in the Principalship?" http://www.naesp.org/misc/shortage.htm
1998